


Impromptu lockpicking

by Shadowdianne



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 16:52:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12258294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowdianne/pseuds/Shadowdianne
Summary: “You locked yourself out your apartment and you’re really cute and I can help, please don’t ask why I’m carrying lock picks” AU





	Impromptu lockpicking

Emma sucked on her teeth as she pushed the door of the porter’s lodge open, quickly surpassing it and starting the ascension through the stairs of the building with only a quick glance to the bored to the death old man that barely looked up from his newspaper. Her right hand hurt and she rotated her wrist, thinking not for the first time that day that she really needed to find another job.

The chasing part was fun, she thought as she arrived at the first landing. It was what happened after she approached the men and women she was supposed to catch what wasn’t as funny. Feeling a satisfying crack, she kept upwards, thinking on the warm bath she was going to take as soon as she entered into her house. Perks, she supposed, of having finally been able to change her small prone to mold apartment for the new one in where she had spent less than a month now.

The sound of her footsteps crawled up the walls around the stairs, the echo it creating as it ricocheted hiding the sound of a feminine voice until she stepped on her own landing, her eyes quickly falling on her neighbor’s tensed back and shoulders. The stress part alone wasn’t a surprise for the always seemingly worried woman that lived in front of her but the way she kept on talking to her phone, clearly angry and moving her free hand up in the air almost as if she wanted to strangle someone, let Emma know that it was something she probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping.

Which, again, the blonde thought while halting her step, chewing on her bottom lip and not really knowing what to do, was something she could truly do taking into account the brunette was just in the middle of the landing. The sight, however, wasn’t something Emma truly minded. Regina Mills – according to her mailbox, not that she had been checking- was gorgeous and Emma had almost tripped twice the day she had met her three weeks ago. Brunette, wit and with a smirk that had made Emma swoon, the blonde almost had had a heart attack when the woman had opened the door of her house dressed in a power suit. She hadn’t but after sharing a few words it had been obvious that the other woman was polite but tired to the bone.

Now, however, the brunette looked stressed and angry at whoever that was at the other side of the phone as she walked back and forth  the few feet the landing consisted of. Her voice was deep and yet perfectly smooth as she tore the other to pieces.

“You are saying,” Emma heard, Regina still not looking at her, the pencil skirt she wore reflecting slightly the light that bathed the place, “that you can’t come in the next two hours? As I said this is an emergency.”

Emma frowned and looked past Regina’s amazing figure to the woman’s door which, now that she thought about, was close. Which was strange. It didn’t seem like Regina start what seemed to be an unpleasant conversation in the middle of the landing.

“Uh oh…” She found herself thinking as whoever that was at the other side of the call said something else before hanging up according to Regina’s incendiary stare towards it.

“I’m going to make you pay if it’s the last…”

“Locked outside? I can help.”

Emma bit her tongue as Regina turned, looking startled before her face was covered in an aloof mask as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Something were Emma did her best not to stare at as she, impulsively, took a few steps towards the brunette, not entirely sure why she had even offered her help.

“I…” Regina’s voice sounded almost too sweet as she gave her a practiced smile, one that seemed almost one from a politician while she shook her head. “Thank you…”

“Emma, Emma Swan.” Emma finished lamely, pointing at the door at her left. “We met a month ago.”

Regina nodded, raising a hand and caressing her neck for a second, the tension on her shoulders easing a little bit while she did so.

“Miss Swan.” She finished, a less formal smile parting her lips. “I’m afraid that unless you can magic me inside my apartment there is little you can do. I will probably call my sister and ask her if she has a spare key on her house.”

Her face, albeit still neutral, spoke volumes about her willingness of calling her sister and so, before Emma truly had a moment to think twice, she found her hand fishing out the lock picks she always had on her whenever she went to work. One never knew when breaking into a car would be needed after all. Or when you would need to help your gorgeous neighbor.

(Yes, Ruby was going to have a field day once Emma told her that.)

“I can’t do magic…” She started, raising the lock pick and smiling shyly. One never knew how other would react about her having those and for a moment she felt truly stupid as Regina’s eyes zeroed on the metal bars. “But I can get you inside.”

The brunette blinked before frowning, not moving aside as Emma swallowed, not knowing where to look; to the brunette’s face or the blouse she wore, the buttons straining just enough for her mind to conjure images that weren’t appropriate. At all.

“How is that you have a set of lock picks?”

Fair question, Emma thought before taking a big gulp of air. Scratching the back of her neck she was suddenly painfully reminded about her the beaten wrist she sported and so she winced once before giving the other woman the briefest summary possible of why she had such a thing on her pockets.

“I’m a bailbondsperson. As little as I like to… use some methods at the end it always comes in handy to have them. Just in case.”

She thought on the many times that particular skill of hers had helped her with stealing back when she had lived on the streets. A sad story the other woman truly didn’t need to know.

Regina narrowed her eyes and for a second Emma wanted to smack herself, realizing that she had probably ruined any chance of looking like a normal neighbor. However, after a few seconds, the brunette stepped aside, letting Emma approach the closed door with a flourish of her hand.

“If you want to try… I would be grateful if you can open it.”

Emma nodded and kneeled in front of the handle, her digits trembling a little as she inserted the first lock pick, her sprained wrist not doing her any favors as she, carefully, moved the bar around. Taking a sharp breath and narrowing her eyes, she willed her wrist to move as slowly as she needed, biting the inside of her cheek while doing so. At her back she could feel Regina staring at her and for a second the fear of making a fool of herself paralyzed her. That, luckily, didn’t happen and soon a satisfying click could be heard as the mechanism opened under the lock picks.

“Done!” Emma cheerfully said, standing and turning with a smile that freeze slightly as she found Regina’s gaze staring at her with something that could only be called a smirk hanging from her lips.

“How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted? In payment for your help.”

It was Emma’s time to feel dumbfounded as she nodded slowly, not missing the second smile the brunette threw at her before walking past her and entering into her house as the blonde promptly followed.

Regina was right obviously, it was the best apple cider Emma had ever tasted.

But that's another story.


End file.
